VICKSBURG – Hinds Community College will expand Vicksburg Warren School District (VWSD) student access to career-technical programs to shorten the time it takes high schoolers to earn the credentials needed to start their careers.
Beginning fall 2026, VWSD high school seniors chosen for Pathways to Advancement Through Hinds, or P.A.T.H., will complete their high school diploma while enrolled full-time as Hinds CC students studying applied science or skilled trades. It is the first such dual-enrollment program in Mississippi.
“These high school seniors will have the potential to begin their skills training earlier, thus being workforce-ready early,” said Jason Webb, Hinds Dean of Career and Technical Education – Construction and Manufacturing. “They have the potential to earn their high school diploma and a two-semester career certificate. At the same time, these students can go on to earn a technical certificate over the summer and then spend an additional semester earning their associate degree.”
Hinds President Dr. Stephen Vacik said the college found that high school students taking vocational classes were not pursuing skilled trades after graduation. He saw an opportunity to do things differently, especially with the region’s burgeoning economic and workforce growth.
“I said, ‘Let’s start again and see what we can do.’ We are not just trying to fill jobs. Today we’re really trying to think about where we want to be in 10 or 15 years,” Dr. Vacik said. “We are helping to grow a competitive economy. I’m very excited for our kids and this community is going to set an example for others around the state. We want to move Mississippi forward.”
Amazon Web Services has plans to build a $3 billion data center campus in Warren County, the tech giant’s second data center buildout in the state. The project is expected to create at least 200 full-time jobs and support about 300 additional positions in the region, according to Amazon and state officials. Construction is slated to begin this year.
In Vicksburg, Entergy Mississippi in October broke ground on the development of a billion-plus dollar 754-megawatt combined-cycle combustion-turbine plant planned at the former Baxter Wilson Steam Electric Station site. The project is expected to generate more than 560 construction jobs.
Hinds and VWSD will educate many of the skilled workers needed for the projects.
Webb said about 80 percent of Mississippi high schoolers have two or fewer credits left to complete during senior year. Many of these students already know they want to be an electrician, a plumber, a welder, an HVAC technician or a mechanic – in-demand, high paying careers. P.A.T.H. will allow them to begin their training and enter the workforce earlier than in the past.
P.A.T.H. transitions the existing vocational training model into a more intensive, postsecondary-focused pathway for high school seniors. Selected seniors will participate in half-day or full-day classes at Hinds’ Vicksburg-Warren Campus, following a structured cohort model with dedicated advising.
VWSD Superintendent Dr. Toriano “Tori” Holloway, who is a Hinds CC trustee, said he had a vision similar to Dr. Vacik’s. The pair had scheduled a meeting and, ironically, both wanted to discuss expansion of the existing vo-tech program to become career-technical with credentials to be awarded.
“This district has always been about helping kids with their ambitions and helping them meet opportunity. We want to continue to do that because it’s more than just about what we teach them, it is also about what they become,” Dr. Holloway said. “Conjugating verbs is important but if you can go and pick up a torch and get to welding and make real money and then find a way out of poverty, well, that’s what we should be doing. We look forward to expanding these opportunities. We look forward to our kids leaving us and making some money and being taxpayers.”
P.A.T.H. is open to 12th-grade students and will require an application, interview process and meeting specific academic, attendance and behavioral standards.
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With six campuses in central Mississippi, Hinds Community College is a comprehensive institution offering quality, affordable educational opportunities with academic programs of study leading to seamless university transfer and career and technical programs teaching job-ready skills.
Our Mission: Hinds Community College is committed to moving people and communities forward by helping develop their purpose, passion and profession.
Our Vision: Hinds Community College will be a catalyst to create a competitive economy and a compelling culture for Mississippi.
Our Values: Hinds Community College aspires to the following IDEALS: Integrity, Diversity, Excellence, Accountability, Leadership, Stewardship.
To learn more, visit www.hindscc.edu or call 1.800.HindsCC.